


Realignment

by bzarcher



Series: Naya Stories [2]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Apologies, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Happy Ending, Introspection, Light Angst, Lover's quarrels, Naya - Freeform, Recruitment, Steps Forward, Symmbra, implied Pharmercy, text conversations
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-08
Updated: 2018-09-08
Packaged: 2019-07-08 09:47:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,773
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15927905
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bzarcher/pseuds/bzarcher
Summary: When she learned the truth of Vishkar's agenda, Satya Vaswani found herself adrift, with only her lover and her daughter to help anchor her.Now she has a chance to bring her world back into alignment, thanks to a most surprising offer.But is she ready to take that leap - and can she overcome her past to help make a better future?





	Realignment

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Beryllium_Astatine](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Beryllium_Astatine/gifts).



> [Naya](http://raposabranca.tumblr.com/post/176389140575/as-coisas-t%C3%A3o-mais-lindas-ko-fi) is Branca's OC character who she has graciously let me use. I know she doesn't have a big part here, but I wanted to make sure she was properly credited, and I'm so glad you enjoyed my dabbling in this AU!

Satya tried not to fidget as she sat in the business class seat she had booked from Mérida to London. She disliked flying at the best of times, and this was...far from such circumstances.

She had been fortunate that the seat next to her had canceled their ticket at the last minute, leaving her free to attempt to relax as they crossed the Atlantic without fear of having to interact with a stranger.

A peace offering, she suspected, after what had happened.

_Do you really think they can help?_  

_I think the fact that they approached me is promising._

_Look, they’re barely managing to stop_ bank heists _._

_They’re nothing like what they used to be. They’re just as illegal as Talon - and way less funded!_

_What are you implying?_

_I’m not_ implying _, I’m_ saying.

_They’re desperate, right now. They’re scrambling for anyone they can get._

_So I represent an act of desperation…?_

 

_That’s not what I meant!_

_But it is what you said!_

_Satya. Wait! Where are you going? Satya…!_

She hadn’t looked back.

It was fortunate that Naya had been in class, and that she had already explained that she would be leaving for a trip for a few days. Satya knew how difficult disruptions to _her_ routine were, and she knew Naya would have enough of a challenge without having to overhear an argument.

_And how will she react if I accept this...invitation?_

Satya was afraid she knew the answer already, and it was ‘not well.’

_She has been through so much already. Do I have the right to impose this on her?_

She was Naya’s adoptive parent, yes, and if she had continued in her career at Vishkar in ignorance of the company’s unsavory acts, she might have been asked to relocate. She might well have been required to work in Utopaea on a regular basis, or to oversee a new development project.

Satya was sure the company would have suggested some form of boarding school or educational program to ensure Naya received a ‘proper’ upbringing while she worked.

She was also quite sure she would never have subjected Naya to that. Not while…

Satya winced as that train of thought came to a crashing halt.

_If you were still a model employee, she would not be there to help. You would not even_ know _her. You might not even have been in the position to adopt Naya - to even know she existed!_

She owed Sombra...no. She owed _Olivia_ a great deal more than she’d ever considered. Because Naya was, without a doubt, one of the best parts of her life...and even now, Olivia was not far behind.

_I should apologize_ , she realized. They obviously did not agree about her decision to go to London, but she should not have left things the way she had.

She reached for her tablet, pulling it from the seat pocket and activating it with a swipe of her thumb.

The flight had wifi. She was almost certain that Sombra would know when the tablet came online, but Satya decided not to leave anything to chance.

There was a subtly hidden icon in one corner of the tablet’s screen, the raised sugar skull design barely discernible against the patterns of the background wallpaper.

Satya brushed her organic thumb over it, then reached out with her other hand to open the notepad.

_I am sorry,_ she wrote once the blank document had opened.

_I should not have left without saying goodbye. I regret that, and I am sorry I did not listen to your explanation._

She knew what part of her wanted to say next, but it was difficult. Each of them struggled with those words - those _concepts_ \- and it was so much easier to let their actions and bodies speak for them instead.

Still, in this moment, words were all she had, and Satya hesitated to use them.

As if sensing her hesitation, the cursor flickered, and then jumped down to the next line of the document.

_I’m sorry I made you think that you’re a last resort._

_I’m still not sure about them...but I think you could help them._

_You’re brilliant, and I know how much you want to make things better._

_But Vishkar fucked you over while promising you so many things…_

_I know they’re not Vishkar. But I don’t want them taking advantage of you either._

Satya bit the inside of her cheek as she watched the letters appear, shifting her legs back and forth before she began to write again.

_Thank you. It does mean a great deal that you are looking out for me - for us._

_You often see things in the shadows I do not, and I trust you to warn me when you feel it is important._

_They are not Vishkar._

_But as long as you are behind me, I know I do not have to fear anyone taking advantage of me._

She let that stand without embellishing or elaborating, and after a long pause the cursor began to move again.

 

_Thanks._

_I don’t know how to tell you how much that means to me, but…_

_It means a lot._

_How’s the flight?_

_It’s been long,_ Satya answered.

_Did Naya behave herself after school?_

The answer came in the form of a picture, obviously taken without a flash to make sure it would not wake the subject.

Naya was curled around her favorite pillow, her stuffed panther tucked under one arm. Her blanket was pooled around her residual legs, and Satya felt a bit of the ache in her chest ease as she took in every detail from her falls of dark hair to the tiger pajamas she was wearing.

_She did ok!_

_I heated up the dinner you left. Thanks for labeling it for me._

_I read a couple of stories before bed._  

_Thank you._

_Did she do her homework?_

_...I knew I forgot something._

_I’ll check it in the morning, I promise!_

Satya sighed, but truthfully she wasn’t that surprised.

Still, it was a start.

_I would appreciate that._

_I should get ready - we will land soon._

_I’ll be around._

 

_And Satya?_

_Good luck._

_Thank you. I appreciate it._

Her fingers hovered over the tablet before she finally typed three words, even if they weren’t entirely the ones she wanted to use.

_I miss you._

_So come back when you’re done,_ Sombra replied, _and I’ll be waiting. ;)_

Satya smiled down at the screen before she put the tablet away.  

She would hold her to that.

* * *

The rest of the flight had passed without incident, but unfortunately she could not manage more than a few brief naps as they crossed the ocean.

Satya was not surprised to find someone waiting for her at Gatwick’s baggage claim, but she did experience some mild shock at who was holding the sign with her name on it.

She didn’t consider herself an expert on the former Overwatch organization by any means, but Angela Ziegler was a rather noteworthy woman for her own accomplishments.

_If she has made the decision to join them, perhaps they are in a better position than Sombra thought._

“Miss Vaswani?” Doctor Ziegler folded the paper sign and tucked it beneath one arm. “Welcome to London!”

“Yes,” Satya nodded as she approached, giving her a respectful nod. “Thank you, doctor.”

The doctor gave her a pleasant smile. “Oh, please call me Angela. After all, we may be working together soon.”

Satya did her best to smile back despite her fatigue. “Then I would ask you to call me Satya.”

“It would be my pleasure,” Angela said as she gestured towards the baggage carousels. “Did you have anything we need to pick up?”

Satya shook her head. “No, I have everything I need in my valise.”

“Very well,” Angela turned, nodding towards the exit. “We have a car outside.”

A car was in fact waiting for them, and Satya recognized the face of the woman leaning against the vehicle for far less pleasant reasons.

She came to a stop while Angela continued on unaware, offering their apparent driver a wave.

The doctor finally turned around, likely planning to introduce them, and frowned when she realized Satya was standing a good ten feet away, her posture rigid and her prosthetic arm drawn defensively against her chest.

“I’m sorry, Satya, are you all right?”

The driver straightened up, the light catching on the golden beads that had been braided into her hair. “I...think this might be my fault,” she said, then took a cautious step forward. “Hello,” Fareeha Amari said as she raised her hands slowly, showing they were empty. “I think I’m supposed to say it’s nice to see you again, but the truth is it’s really awkward, isn’t it?”

Satya thought of the last time she’d seen this woman, wrapped in heavy armor that had been camouflaged for use in the desert, a rocket launcher in her hands as she demanded Satya stop and surrender herself.

Satya forced herself to take a step forward, dragging her suitcase behind her. “Yes,” she admitted reluctantly. “It...is _very_ awkward, Captain.”   

Fareeha reached up and rubbed the back of her neck nervously. “I’m just Fareeha here. I’m not part of Helix, right now. And you’re Satya, and not…who you were.”

“I am not representing Vishkar,” Satya said with a note of bemusement. “But I am still Symmetra.”

“That’s...Pharah ‘nuff,” Fareeha said with a little smirk, and as Angela groaned Satya recognized the pun. “Still - no hard feelings?”

Satya nodded. “I would certainly like to try and begin this on a positive note.”

“Good. Good!” Fareeha took a step back so she could turn towards the car. “So - would you like us to take you to the hotel first, or could you use something to eat?”

She considered that as she walked to the car, putting her bag beside her in the backseat while Angela and Fareeha took seats up front.

“I think I would prefer the hotel. I do not sleep well on long flights.”

“Not a problem,” Fareeha answered as she put the car into gear and began to drive away.

Angela turned so she could give proper eye contact. “Do you still feel comfortable meeting tomorrow morning as we’d planned? I can request we start later.”

“Tomorrow morning is fine,” Satya assured her, then considered something. “Who else will be attending?”

“Myself,” Angela answered, “Winston, and Lena may stop in briefly.”

Satya’s eyebrows rose as she looked over at their driver. “Not you?”

“I’m not really good at negotiating,” Fareeha said with a cryptic little smile. “I’ll be handling some other business after I drop you both off.”

“I see.”

The conversation lapsed after that, but the ride wasn’t terribly long even with the usual London traffic, and within half an hour Satya was settling into the hotel room that had been booked for her, carefully sweeping it for any listening or surveillance devices out of long habit before she finally slipped off her shoes with a sigh of relief.

She unpacked her valise next, hanging up the suit she would wear tomorrow, and finally undid the tight bun of her hair, letting it cascade down her back before she carefully rolled her neck from side to side to help release her tension.

Only after all those steps did she check the clock on the wall. 5:35 p.m. London time meant it would be...lunchtime, if she was calculating the difference correctly.

Satya took the tablet from where she had covered it in her bag, then opened the video call app, counting the seconds as it attempted to connect and synchronize the additional layers of security they had added to the base program.

_Fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen…_

The connection was finally made, and a moment later Sombra appeared, the odd angle of her face making it likely that she was using one of her holographic windows to capture the video.

“Hey!” Sombra’s eyes were shining, and Satya relaxed as she smiled back at her. “How’s London?”

Satya considered her answer. “I have seen very little of the city, but I have appreciated my welcome.”

“Oh yeah?” Sombra picked up a stuffed squash blossom from a plate, and took a bite before she continued on. “Tell me more.”

“Angela Ziegler has apparently rejoined. She was waiting to meet me at the baggage claim.”

“ _¿No mames?”_ Sombra’s voice was rendered mushy by her mouthful of food, and she forced herself to swallow. “She kept that quiet. It’s been a few weeks since she was spotted in the field…” She trailed off, her eyes flicking back and forth as she scanned her networks for information. “OK, they got me this time.”

Satya nodded pensively. “She was not the only surprise. Are you familiar with Fareeha Amari?”

Sombra tilted her head a bit, her smile distinctly crooked. “I guess it depends how you mean ‘familiar’.”

“...you did _not_ ,” Satya said with utter disbelief.

Sombra giggled and shook her head. “Nope! But she wouldn’t have needed to twist my arm.”

“ _Olivia_ ,” she groaned as she let her head fall back with exasperation. “Please be serious.”

“Sorry, beautiful,” Sombra said as she straightened up. “It’s fun to see you get a little jealous though.”

“I am -” Satya stopped herself and considered the strength of her reaction. “...perhaps a _little_ jealous. But it is because you are mine.”

Even over the less than perfect connection, she could see the blush spread across Sombra’s cheeks. “You are _really_ evil. Naya’s going to be home soon…”

“So we should finish this conversation,” Satya agreed with a knowing smile. “You _do_ know Amari, then?”

Sombra nodded, putting her plate away. “Yeah. We’ve run into each other a few times, and I did plenty of research on her - and her mother. So she’s in too, huh?”

“She is. We have had...encounters,” Satya observed. “We both found it a bit awkward, at first.”

Sombra laughed as she leaned back. “I’ll bet! But she’s probably excited she finally gets to live her dream.”

“...that I do not know,” Satya admitted. “We did not speak of that directly. But I expect that I may have a chance to speak about it tomorrow.”

“Sounds like they’ve got more on the ball than I thought,” Sombra admitted. “That’s good. Like I said - they need it. But...I meant what I said yesterday too. Good luck.”

“Thank you,” Satya said softly as she bowed her head a moment, then brought her hand up to conceal her yawn. “I should try to rest a bit, and get my body on the proper time.”

“I figured you wouldn’t really sleep on the plane,” Sombra admitted. “Want me to call you later?”

She took a moment to consider how tired she was. “Text me before you read to Naya tonight. If I answer, call. I would like to read to her if I am awake.”

Sombra nodded. “Sounds good.” She kissed her fingertips, then blew the kiss in the direction of the camera. “Get some rest, ok?”

Satya mimed ‘catching’ the kiss and brought it to her lips with a smile. Perhaps the gesture was a bit childish, but she did appreciate the sentiment behind it. “I will try.”

* * *

In the end, she did sleep through the message from Sombra, but woke up a short time later and had a curry delivered for a late dinner, then woke with her alarm to prepare for her meeting.

A light breakfast, a hot shower, and appropriate time spent on a professional presentation, finished by dressing in her crisply pressed white suit, a blue blouse, and subtly tinted glasses before Satya finally stepped into her shoes.

It only took a moment to craft a hard light sleeve for her tablet, and she slipped it under her arm just before there was a knock at her door.

“Yes?”

“It’s Angela,” the doctor called through the door. “I thought I would walk with you.”

“Ah, of course. Just a moment, then.” She gave herself one last look in the mirror, then opened the door to find Angela waiting in a white peasant blouse and dark skirt, trimmed with gold thread that put Satya in mind of the suit that she would normally wear in the field as Mercy.

“Good morning! Did you have the chance to rest?”

Satya answered Angela’s smile with her own, giving a carefully controlled nod. “Yes, thank you.”

“Excellent!” Angela gestured towards the end of the hall, and Satya fell in behind her as they walked, making their way down to the hotel’s conference rooms.

They reached the room that had been booked for this...interview? Negotiation? Induction? It looked depressingly ordinary, given the extraordinary event it would hold, with a note beside the door that explained the room was reserved for the use of “Dr. Winston and guests.”

“After you,” Angela said as she opened the door, and Satya took a deep breath to prepare herself before she stepped inside.

The interior of the room looked as unremarkable as the outside, with a conference room table of dark polished wood, office chairs, a projector, and a coffee service from the hotel sitting in the corner.

But the figure sitting at the opposite end of the table…

It almost seemed like a bit of a magic trick that Winston was sitting at the table in an impossibly broad button down shirt, a loosely knotted tie, and lab coat, narrow rimmed glasses resting on the bridge of his broad nose.

“Ah, hello!” Winston rose to his feet, and Satya realized he was sitting on a small bench, the chair that was normally at the head of the table pushed into the corner. “Thank you for coming, Miss Vaswani.”

“Good morning,” Satya greeted him, grateful he hadn’t extended a hand. Perhaps later, when she knew them better…

She tried not to give anything away with her expression, but the realization she was already planning for a future partnership was sobering.

Still, that was the entire reason she was here, was it not?

“Please,” Winston said as he moved back to the bench. “Sit down, make yourself comfortable.”

Satya nodded, considering the ergonomics of the chair in front of her before she decided to push it to the wall and generated a more comfortable chair for herself from the saved template in her arm’s creation array.

Winston’s eyes had gone wide beneath his glasses, while Angela was giving her an impressed look as she settled into a chair next to her colleague.

“Remarkable,” Winston said with clear wonder in his voice. “I’ve seen the products of Vishkar’s hard light manipulation before, but it’s quite another thing to see something created in front of me so effortlessly.”

Satya smiled and ducked her head to acknowledge the compliment as she sat down. “It is helpful that I stored this design previously, but thank you. I am glad you appreciate my work.”

Winston smiled as he produced a tablet and slid it across the table. “I suppose that’s a good segue as any to why we’re here today.”

The contract terms were...impressively generous, given the organization’s status, and Satya found herself wondering just how that was possible.

“I was not aware you possessed such...extensive resources.”

Winston huffed with what she thought was amusement, while Angela gave her a little smile.

“I admit we are operating a bit...unofficially,” Winston rumbled. “But we have been finding a great deal of support from several sources, and we’re trying to put those resources to use in finding the right people to help us rebuild.”

“More importantly,” Angela said as she met Satya’s eyes. “It means we are able to go where we need to so that we can help others without worrying about financial restrictions.”

“I see,” Satya said as she scrolled through the paperwork. Most of the terms were more than acceptable, but…

It seemed they could sense her hesitation. Angela and Winston shared a look before he tilted his head slightly deferring to her.

“Do you have any conditions or changes you’d like to suggest, Satya?”

Satya’s throat felt dry and tight as she looked down at the contract. Her chest was aching with the sudden anxiety, and yet...she had to trust these people. She _wanted_ to trust them. So she needed to give them reasons to trust her in return.

“Would I be required to maintain a residence in Gibraltar?”

“We have been providing housing in the Watchpoint facility,” Winston answered, reaching up to adjust his glasses. “You’re certainly welcome to keep a home wherever you like - Lena tends to commute back and forth from her home here, in fact.”

“I might...investigate that option,” Satya finally said as she looked up, making herself meet their eyes. “But if I should stay at the Watchpoint...I will need some specific accommodations for child care.”

The silence in the wake of her statement was deafening. Winston had shuffled back, his bearing broadcasting surprise, while Angela’s eyebrows rose up almost to her hairline.

“I...have an adopted daughter,” Satya finally said when the silence became too much. “She is very dear to me. I will not leave her behind.”

“Of course not,” Angela assured her in a soft, compassionate voice. “We would never ask you to do that.”

“We used to have…” Winston leaned forward again, almost falling onto his elbows. “That is to say the Watchpoint had a daycare, at one point, for dependents. We obviously don’t have a dedicated child care staff, but I think we can get the equipment and playground cleaned up, and Athena still has child development and assistance modules…”

“Naya does have some special needs,” Satya admitted as she sat back, her breathing becoming easier. “But as long as I can make sure there is a place where she will be safe and comfortable…”

Angela smiled. “Perhaps with an emphasis on safety?”

Satya nodded, relieved to be understood.

“We’d be happy to help you find some solutions,” Winston said with a friendly smile. “And if nothing else, we can provide some...unique babysitters.”

She chuckled at that, and Angela laughed as well.

“In that case…” Satya reached the end of the contract, and pressed her thumb to the screen to provide a signature before she slid it back down the table to them. “I believe this is quite acceptable.”

Winston took the tablet and put it into the same case he had produced it from. “In that case,” he said as he stood from the table, then extended his hand to her.

“Welcome to Overwatch, Agent Symmetra.”


End file.
